Digest of Gifted Research

Welcome to the Digest of Gifted Research (formerly Duke Gifted Letter), published by the Duke University Talent Identification Program. The Digest is a trusted resource for research-based information about raising and educating academically talented children.

Online AP Exam Prep

Friday, June 16, 2006 - 10:00

In rural towns, inner cities, and other communities with limited resources, gifted students often find that the selection of school courses does not meet their needs for variety and academic challenge. Many high schools have too few students enrolling in Advanced Placement (AP) classes to continue offering them. Other students find that the AP courses they wish to take conflict with required courses or other activities. Students who are homeschooled also search for ways to learn more advanced material.

One option for these students is to take AP courses online via the World Wide Web. There are several advantages to taking AP courses online. First, students can complete the work as...

Educating with the Harkness Table

Friday, June 16, 2006 - 09:30

Whether it’s English or mathematics, at Phillips Exeter Academy we call all of our classes Harkness classes and our teachers Harkness teachers. Harkness identifies a table you will find at the center of every class, both literally and figuratively. Harkness Tables are oval and seat a dozen students and a teacher, but they are much more than places to sit. Classmates learn by discussing their thoughts and ideas rather than just by taking notes. Teachers participate in discussions and guide students without lecturing.

Harkness Tables originated at Exeter in 1931 when philanthropist Edward Harkness challenged the Exeter faculty to create an innovative way of teaching. The purpose of...

It's About Playtime

Friday, June 16, 2006 - 09:30

There are many ways to show love, but few are as effective as giving a preschool child the gift of time—time spent interacting, playing, or just being together. Although gifted children are great at amusing themselves like all children, they also need to connect with those who love and care about them. Parents play an important role by spending high-quality time with their children.

However, it’s difficult to find the precise activity at the exact moment your child wants to participate. Children who have special abilities and unique interests won’t settle for the everyday time-fillers. So what to do?

Make a list with your child of things you can and want to do together. Keep...

Hearing the Music

Friday, June 16, 2006 - 08:30

The Music Within

It’s Tuesday morning, and instead of hearing classroom noise or school bells indicating it’s time to change classes, our 14-year-old daughter Niki is in her room playing electric guitar and singing one of her new songs. Music is not just a hobby for Niki; it is her life. She has had several songs copyrighted, she solos at coffeehouses, she’s made a few demo tapes, she performs with an adult contemporary band, she offers piano lessons, and she recently completed enough songs for a CD. Niki has amazing musical abilities and instinctively knows how to play and write complicated songs.

Niki learns differently, and this became a problem in the third grade. The...

Geometric Building Sets

Friday, June 16, 2006 - 08:00

Have you ever bought an educational toy or game that promised to challenge your children’s intellectual curiosity? Has that toy or game eventually cluttered the attic?

“Product Tips,” a regular column of the Duke Gifted Letter, aims to help parents become more savvy consumers of educational toys, games, books, and software.

This issue reviews geometric building sets. We have researched and tested three products: Zometool, Roger’s Con-nection, and Plato’s Glo-Mobile.

With feedback from children and teachers, we have ranked the sets, taking into account the critical thinking skills challenged; the range of ages and abilities served; the directions and...